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Clinical use of diodes and micro-chambers to obtain accurate small field output factor measurements

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Abstract

There have been substantial advances in small field dosimetry techniques and technologies, over the last decade, which have dramatically improved the achievable accuracy of small field dose measurements. This educational note aims to help radiation oncology medical physicists to apply some of these advances in clinical practice. The evaluation of a set of small field output factors (total scatter factors) is used to exemplify a detailed measurement and simulation procedure and as a basis for discussing the possible effects of simplifying that procedure. Field output factors were measured with an unshielded diode and a micro-ionisation chamber, at the centre of a set of square fields defined by a micro-multileaf collimator. Nominal field sizes investigated ranged from 6 × 6 to 98 × 98 mm2. Diode measurements in fields smaller than 30 mm across were corrected using response factors calculated using Monte Carlo simulations of the diode geometry and daisy-chained to match micro-chamber measurements at intermediate field sizes. Diode measurements in fields smaller than 15 mm across were repeated twelve times over three separate measurement sessions, to evaluate the reproducibility of the radiation field size and its correspondence with the nominal field size. The five readings that contributed to each measurement on each day varied by up to 0.26  %, for the “very small” fields smaller than 15 mm, and 0.18 % for the fields larger than 15 mm. The diode response factors calculated for the unshielded diode agreed with previously published results, within uncertainties. The measured dimensions of the very small fields differed by up to 0.3 mm, across the different measurement sessions, contributing an uncertainty of up to 1.2 % to the very small field output factors. The overall uncertainties in the field output factors were 1.8 % for the very small fields and 1.1 % for the fields larger than 15 mm across. Recommended steps for acquiring small field output factor measurements for use in radiotherapy treatment planning system beam configuration data are provided.

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Acknowledgments

Experimental measurements were obtained with assistance from Greg Pedrazzini, Richard Knight, George Warr and Trent Aland. Information and advice on early aspects of this work were provided by John Kenny. This study was supported by the Australian Research Council, the Wesley Research Institute, Premion and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), through linkage Grant No. LP110100401.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genesis CancerCare Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    T. Kairn

  2. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

    T. Kairn, P. H. Charles, S. B. Crowe, C. M. Langton & J. V. Trapp

  3. Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

    P. H. Charles

  4. Department of Medical Physics, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, Saskatoon, Canada

    G. Cranmer-Sargison

  5. Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

    G. Cranmer-Sargison

  6. Institute of Medical Physics, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia

    D. I. Thwaites

  7. Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

    S. B. Crowe

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  1. T. Kairn
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  2. P. H. Charles
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  3. G. Cranmer-Sargison
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  4. S. B. Crowe
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  7. J. V. Trapp
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Correspondence to T. Kairn.

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Kairn, T., Charles, P.H., Cranmer-Sargison, G. et al. Clinical use of diodes and micro-chambers to obtain accurate small field output factor measurements. Australas Phys Eng Sci Med 38, 357–367 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-015-0334-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-015-0334-9

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